CAA/WTS/CPT/Flight Schools - Reference Thread

[pfrost]

This is a uniform/wings for Joseph Shinal who was an instructor for Smith's Flying Service at the WIlkes-Barrie/Wyoming Valley Airport in Forty-Fort PA.

 

The name tag. The uniform is non-military/private purchase. Lucky for me, his name was easy to search!

 

 

He was working for Smith's Flying Service. I don't know what he did after going into the USAAF, but it sounds like he never went overseas.

[BBG]

Very nice! Here's his Find A Grave page. It mentions he served in the 9th Army Air Force in Europe during WW2.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/87350090/joseph-benedict-shinal

 

[pfrost]

That is great. Thanks. I hadn't gotten that far in my research. I was just excited to figure out the wings!

[rustywings]

Patrick, what an eye-opening CAA Flight Instructor coat! Your "Smith Flying Service" bullion wing is sure a well preserved and neat variation. Thanks for sharing your images and expanding our wing identification-bank a bit more...

 

 

It's been awhile since I've stumbled into something cool to add to the collection. So, I was especially delighted when this WASP Civilian Flight Instructor cap badge recently became available. The Avenger Field Flight Instructor cap piece is big and bold, especially compared to a standard size USAAF Officer's cap piece or CAA cap piece. The reverse is unmarked, with a single screw-back for attachment.

 

 

 

[JCBrownABNPFDR]

I just found this thread and decided to add what I have. Hicks Field had a primary flight school in Fort Worth, Texas (I believe it's now Love Field). The accompanying pictures are the insignia worn by Eddie George during his time as a flight instructor there. Along with the insignia, I thought I'd post some pictures that showed that they could laugh at themselves.

 

 

 

 

Hicks Field - Fort Worth, Texas - Insignia close ups:

 

 

 

 

Hicks Field - Fort Worth, Texas - Humor in Uniform:

 

 

Hicks Field - Fort Worth, Texas - Last one

[Lee Ragan]

I just found this thread and decided to add what I have. Hicks Field had a primary flight school in Fort Worth, Texas (I believe it's now Love Field). The accompanying pictures are the insignia worn by Eddie George during his time as a flight instructor there. Along with the insignia, I thought I'd post some pictures that showed that they could laugh at themselves.

Hicks Field was indeed in Ft. Worth, but Love field was and still is in Dallas.

[JCBrownABNPFDR]

Oops. I guess my mind is slipping. Getting old causes you to forget these things.

[COOKIEMAN]

It has been a while since I have posted to this thread, so thought I would add three Hicks Field in my collection

 

The small wing was also used as a hat badge. It was married to an Army Officer's cap badge with the "GLORY" removed - round thingee with the 13 stars

 

The patch with "HICKS / FIELD" on a light blue shield is the earlier of the two.

 

The patch with the gremlin is the later issued Some time after the detachments were redesignated with numbers.

 

ENJOY

[ocsfollowme]

Picked these up this past month. Ground and Flight Instructor for #3 British Flying Training School at Spartan (Miami, Oklahoma)

 

 

[pfrost]

Very nice

[BBG]

I'm not sure if this patch belongs here. Has anyone seen it before?

 

I can't find anything online about a Haskell Flying Service.

 

 

[ocsfollowme]

I have seen another one of the Haskell Flying Service patch before. I researched and researched but could not find anything showing that it operated during WW2 as a CPT school. All that I could find was that it was located in Long Beach, California and bunches of small articles stating that they had grievances with the VA about not letting soldiers use their GI Bill there.

 

Neat patch. My thinking is that it is post WWII.

[BBG]

Thanks for the information Steve.

[COOKIEMAN]

Although I have been collecting AAF / CPT / CAA WTS civilian flying training stuff for over 40 years, I have also been unable to find information on Haskell Flying Service. I do have a nice unused version of the patch, which I am sharing below. Enjoy

[BBG]

Beautiful example, thanks for posting it. I think my patch was pinned to a board exposed to the sun. The plane sure looks like a AT-6 Texan trainer.

[COOKIEMAN]

Two not before seen AAF Contract Pilot School Flight Instructor Insignia. Had a chance to visit a fellow collector this past week. While going through his collection found two interesting Flight Instructor Flight Jacket Insignia. Obviously custom design the first one is decal on leather, while the second one is hand painted on leather.

 

5th AAF FTD, Hemet, California

 

310th AAF FTD, Yukon (Oklahoma City), Oklahoma

 

Also a neat license plate topper, really nice

 

Enjoy

[mshaw]

Here is a group I recently picked up. I haven't seen the AW piece before. Does anyone know what that is?

 

[ocsfollowme]

I have not seen the semi circular instructor patch either. Great additions!

[Joe Visor]

The two original flight schools described above shut down in 1945. With the sudden need for pilots in Korea in 1951, Southern Airways contracted again and established a flight school for the USAF in Bainbridge, Georgia. Here's the Flight Instructor's wings for that school.

Here is the cap device for the Bainbridge school.

 

 

[rustywings]

Thanks guys for all of the additional postings! Here's an updated Cal Aero Flight Academy image...

 

 

[Kansas Raider]

Here are a couple of wings from the Wentworth Military Academy. I got these at their auction in Feb 2018. The top wing is marked GEMSCO, NY

[Steve B.]

Very cool! I had no idea these even existed.

 

My Father went to Wentworth in the late 40s-early 50s.

 

Thanks for sharing those.

[LuftStalg1]

Yes, really cool, Thx for sharing!

[rathbonemuseum.com]

Very cool. Never seen.

[Kansas Raider]

Thanks everybody for your kind remarks. Here is some history on the aviation program at Wentworth, In 1939 the government approved C.P.T. ( civilian pilot training ) course. It was held at the Lexington airport down in the bottoms. In June 1943 the program was changed to C.A.A war training service and the training is confined at the present to the Naval Aviation Cadets sent to the academy by the Navy Department. However private flying is available at the Lexington-Wentworth Airport for cadets at their own expense.

As of 1943 record of graduates from the Wentworth Flight Training out of 127 graduates, 111 are in the armed services. 4 KIA's, I missing, 1 POW.

In 1944 they secured permission fro the C.A.A. officials to continue flight training at the cadets expense.

In 1946, Wentworth is one of a few schools in the country that possesses it's own airport and conducting it's own aviation training. That year they had 29 cadets in the program. I know the program went at the least to 1970 with fewer cadets